Desert Landscaping: Creative Projects In The Middle East

Green spaces are becoming a goal across the globe, and in Dubai, the iconic skyline is being given the green treatment. It’s no secret that green spaces have positive impacts on mental wellbeing, physical health, and overall environmental health too. Sustainable irrigation infrastructure supports parks and green oases bursting with nature. Well-planned transportation routes ensure that shaded promenades and pathways connect city buildings to green scapes, ensuring full accessibility and mobility to all parts of the city, even on the hottest days.

Urban greening not only makes cities in the Middle East more livable, but it also could hold the key to better management of water resources in a region that is severely water-stressed.

Saudi Arabia is home to the Arabian Desert, which stretches across most of the country and into neighbouring countries like Yemen, Oman, Jordan and Iraq. The landscape is a semi-desert with snowy mountain ranges, highlands and even volcanic lava fields. No natural rivers run through Saudi, instead water management relies on man-made ‘Wadis’, found throughout the region. This vast, seemingly inhospitable landscape is not to be underestimated. A $500bn (£396) project called NEOM will see three huge developments take place in the coming years.

These ambitious developments are not your run-of-the-mill projects. From a new destination resort in the snow-covered mountains to an industry hub nestled on a floating structure, these projects showcase creative ingenuity when building on desert terrain. A new carbon neutral city called The Line sets the standards for desert friendly landscaping projects. Aiming to house 9 million people along a 100-mile strip of city that’s around 600 ft in width, the infrastructure is also preserving 95% of its land for nature. This project is the pinnacle of modern desert landscaping that enables people and the environment to co-exist without conflict.

In Jordan, deforestation combined with climate change has resulted in an arid desert landscape with just 1% tree cover. The country was once home to large fauna, like rhinos and lions, that lived in forests. Urban rewilding and native forest restoration are two routes to restoring the desert landscape to its true vibrant and varied character. In Egypt, the Sinai Desert tells a similar story. What once was a land littered with forests and sparkling grasslands is now arid; rivers are dried up and only the toughest flora and fauna survive.

Restoring lost ecosystem functions is the goal for both these areas, and for many other countries grappling with desert terrain landscape challenges. Environmental rehabilitation projects can bring wonderful benefits. In Mongolia, Today, Toson Lake is the largest in Mongolia, and almost .